Crab trap



May 15, 1928.

B. F. LEWIS GRAB TRAP Filedl Sept. 2l,l 1927 Q .2. Q OQQQNQ l BENJAMINE F. LEWIsfoF :UNIT-ED., ,STA

Patented May 15, 1928.

naaavrroeaiv, VIRGINIA, `AssIGNoa TOIIARVY T. LEWIS, 0F HARRYHOGAN, VIRGINIA. f

`GRAB TRAP. f i

,Apali'cationlmed setmber 21,` 192.7. serial no. 220,968.'

fully catch crabs. Theordinary ish'vtrap vis entirely inapplicable to this purpose on account of the difference in habits and'in shape, between the fish and theV` crab. Furthermore, lobster trapsl as hitherto designed, vare not suitable for catching flcrabs, :the l"lobsters being long and relatively narrow in form, while the crab is wide and flat, and 'moreover the habitsof theftwo crustaceans are different in many respects.

The presentvdevice has been designed for the express purpose'of catchingcrabs and is the Vresult of close observations and repeated experiment in the desgin of the trap.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which f Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the trap as a whole.

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal plansection showing various chambers and passageways leading into and through the trap,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 2%*3 of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The crab trap as a whole is preferably rectangular in shape, and in practicel is v three feet long, three wide and one foot high land is constructed of one inch diamond mesh galvanized wire.

The front of the trap at 10 slopes gradually upward and inward from the bottom to about midway the height of the trap and likewise a similar portion 11 slopes inwardly and downwardly from the top. Along the meeting edgesaof these sloping portions and about midway in width, a door 1 is provided through which the crabs enter into the chamber 12, being attracted by the bait .in the cup 2. The door 1 is located about one foot to the rear of the front edges of the trap and is about eight inches long and one and one-half inches high, allowing ample space for the largest crabs to enter without touching the sides of the entrance, but being too small to provide an easy exit from the chamber 12, The sloping Hoor portionl'O provides an easy mean'svof ap? preach for the crab, which enters theftrap by walking rather-,than by, SWmm-n PATENT IOFF'ICE" The cup 2 fory the bait ispreferablyinade'V i ofthe same material. as the trap', and is'c'yv lindrical in form', an openingtothe cup b`eing made preferably by severing` one more meshes immediately over the :top 'ofA the v The cepis placed iafrontfoftheopeniag or 'door 1 ofthe trap, directly in view of the crab, is about four inches-in diameter,A 'and yextends from the top to the-bottomjof vthe trap. The front 'ofthefcup preferably reinforced. with adcl'itional"`diamo`nd mesh wirev toy prevent the crab yfrom pulling"the /fromthe same.' bait ciip' v of this 'character' provides' a] permanent attraction to an indefinite number of crabs, and the bait does nothave to be replenished.

The primary receiving chamber 12 is provided with a rear upright wall or partition 3 which is somewhat concave from the direction of the chamber *12, and yconverges slightly toward a door 4 opening into a passage 18 and thence through door 5 to thev va crab from the primary chamber 12. The

crab will be forced from the chamber 12 by other crabs coming in through the door l, the new comers immediately drivingthe others out of the primary chamber 12 into the secondary chamber 14. Thisaction has been repeatedly observed, and is one of the important reasons for the successful. operation of the present device.

The passageway 13 is about one foot long and leads to a point near the rear of the trap.

'The exit door 5 is much higher and smaller than the door 4 and is ilatten'ed on the inside to about one and one half inches inr height.' This door forms a non-return entrance, through which the crabs areunable to pass in the reverse direction from cham ber 14 to chamber 12.

The trap may be constructedl comparative-k ly cheaply, but must be made to withstand` hard wear. -The walls of the trap are pref-y erably laced together with heavy twine, `and being strengthened by upright posts at each welv i corner of the trap, these posts being,r about one halt inch indiameter.v

` The bottom floor of the trapat-the right hand corner preferably forms the door from which the cra-bs are removed,`this door (not shownybeing laced or fastened with strong twine or spring staples.

The trap may be lifted by means ot' a. rope fastened at the right side of the front of the trap, the other end of the rope beingl `fished tWo or more times. a day, the .crabs being taken fromvthe door of the trap as above described. l y

vIt will bevunderstood that the invention fis Anot limited tothe precise details shown andv describedfand thatV the dimensions set forth are merely for `the purpose of illustratingbone particular embodiment of the vinvention which has been satisfactorilyused.

What I claim is I 1. A crab trap composed of reticulated fabric, having at its front end` sloping portions extending y gradually' inwardly from top and bottom, anl unobstructed entrance,

relatively Wideas compared to height, 10- cated on the meeting line of said sloping K portions, said trap having a primary receiving chamber, a bait'cup in said primary y receiving chamber and extending from.v top to bottom of said trap directly in front of said entrance, a secondary chamber located in'rear of said primary chamber, and separated therefrom by `a concavo-'convex Wall, and a. non-returnpassage leading from said primary to said secondary chamber.

2. Acrab trap `composed of reticulated fabric, having at its front end sloping portions extending gradually inwardly lfrom top andbottom, an unobstructed entrance, yrelatively wide as compared` to vheight lo-` `cated on the meeting line of said ,sloping portions, said trap having la primary receiving chamber, a bait cup in said primaryy vreceiving chamber and extendingifromftop to bottom of said trap directly `in yfront of said entrance, a secondary chamber `located in rea'r'of said primary chamber, and sepa-4 rated therefrom by a Wall, and a nonfreturn passage leading from said secondary chamber.

In'testimony whereofl I alflx signature.

BENJAMINEF. LEWIS.;y

primary to saidl 

